The invention relates generally to removing wire insulation, and more specifically, to removing wire insulation via heating.
Conductive wire is used in a variety of applications in various industries. For example, conductive wire may be used to transmit electric current, electrically couple electronic devices, transmit information between devices, generate an electromagnetic field, or generate heat. Some conductive wire may be insulated to shield the conductive wire from the environment. For example, insulation may shield a conductive wire carrying a high current from an environment to reduce transmission losses and to permit handling of the conductive wire. Insulation may surround a conductive wire along its length to protect the conductive wire from environmental conditions such as corrosion, electromagnetic fields, extreme temperatures, abrasion, and friction. Insulation may also prevent unintentional grounding of the conductive wire. Various types of materials such as polymers, coatings, enamels, and textiles may be used to insulate conductive wire.
Some insulation may be removed from a conductive wire to couple an insulated wire with one or more devices to transmit electric current or information. Traditional methods for removing insulation may include rotary wire brushes, mechanical grinding, flame removal, chemical etching, solder pot stripping, and laser removal. However, some traditional methods may remove some of the conductive wire along with the insulation or may have undesirable effects on the conductive wire. Some methods may produce an undesirable work environment. Insulation may be difficult to remove due to insulation properties. For example, some insulation may withstand temperatures as high as 250 degrees Celsius. Additionally, some methods may require systems that cannot be relocated easily.